Not applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a visual indicator that may be used to display the status of dynamically varying parameters. More particularly, the present invention relates to a visual meter that can be attached to a removable storage media, or any other tangible product, to display the status of varying parameters. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to an electronic label that can be affixed to a removable storage media or other tangible product and that includes circuitry which provides a visual indication of one or more dynamic parameters relating to the removable storage media or product.
2. Background of the Invention
Bar code labels and other electronic marking labels have become commonplace in numerous industries as a way to label a tangible product or storage device. Bar code labels are commonly used on retail products to enable the bar code to be scanned to identify the product. Bar code labels are also used in manufacturing to identify the time and place that the product was manufactured. In the computer storage industry, bar code labels are commonly used to identify the storage medium, which then may be correlated with certain parameters regarding the storage medium in a computerized archiving system.
While bar code labels have the advantage of being small in size and relatively inexpensive, they suffer from the disadvantage that the bar code label cannot be used to indicate the status of a parameter that varies with time. Thus, as an example, a bar code label may be used to identify a battery by model number and date of manufacture, it cannot be used to indicate the life remaining on a battery. In certain industries, it is advantageous to be able to label products to indicate the state of dynamic parameters. The list of such products is massive, and includes removable storage medium, power supplies, manufacturing pieces, and virtually any product that requires maintenance or which has a fixed life. As an example of such products, the present invention will discuss removable storage media to explain the principles of the visual meter disclosed herein, with the understanding that the present invention is not limited to use only with such a product. The present invention may be used in conjunction with any type of storage product, and may be used outside the storage industry in other industries and fields that require use of a meter that can visually display a parameter that varies with time.
Removable storage media are used extensively by businesses and individuals to store data that is downloaded from computing and accounting systems. Typically, computer users will store or back-up data onto the removable storage media frequently to protect the integrity of that data in case the computer or operating system loses its data, or xe2x80x9ccrashesxe2x80x9d. The removable storage media also is used to free up memory space in the computer or network. Data is written or backed-up onto a removable storage media by a writing device that typically connects as a peripheral device to a computer system or network storage. Similarly, data is retrieved or restored from the back-up storage media through the use of a read device. Typically, a tape drive will include the capability to both read from and write to the removable storage media.
Methods and techniques for backing up data onto removable storage media vary. Usually, however, a user will maintain multiple back-up copies of data to insure the integrity of the stored data. For example, five different tape cartridges may be used in a rotating fashion to back-up all accounting data. Thus, for example, on Monday, tape 1 would be used to back-up the accounting data, while tapes 2, 3, 4 and 5 would be used on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, respectively. In this fashion, each of the five tapes is supplemented once a week. As a result, if one tape fails or is lost on the same day that a computer crashes, at most only one day of data would be lost. Other users may decide to periodically maintain back-up tapes in an automated or robotic tape library for later reference. Thus, for example, a company may decide to back-up and store in a library or archive all accounting data that is present on the last day of each month.
An entire industry has evolved that relates to equipment and methods for backing-up data from a computer onto a tape cartridge, and for keeping an inventory of the many back-up tapes that may exist. For example, robotic library systems have been developed which include a robotic arm to automatically place tape cartridges into tape drives for backing up and restoring data. In these systems, the tape cartridge typically is identified by a bar code, which is read by a bar code scanner. The bar code usually comprises a label that is affixed to the cartridge. A central computer associates the bar code value with the position and content of each cartridge. The cartridges are maintained in a storage volume which is accessible by the robotic arm and bar code scanner. These library systems, typically are very expensive, and require expensive robotic handling equipment to handle the tapes. In addition, the bar code is not capable of retaining information regarding the tape life, capacity, and other dynamically changing parameters of the cartridge.
More recently, a number of companies have begun to market systems that permit the usage history and other information regarding removable storage media to be monitored and stored with the media. In these systems, an integrated circuit is placed either inside the storage media, or on an exterior surface of the media. The integrated circuit includes an auxiliary memory, such as an EEPROM, which can store certain information regarding the removable storage media. Information stored in auxiliary memory may include the capacity of the storage media, the manufacturer of the storage media, the number of times that the storage media was required to retry a write operation during back-up operations, the number of times that the storage media was required to retry a read operation during restore operations, the number of times that the storage media has been loaded with data, and the media pool with which the storage media is associated. The drive device accesses this information on the auxiliary memory through suitable circuitry mounted in the drive. The drive communicates with the auxiliary memory via either a direct electrical connection, or through radio frequency (rf) transmissions. If rf communication is used, an antenna is included with the auxiliary memory on the storage media, and an antenna is mounted with the circuitry in the drive. The circuitry in the drive may access the auxiliary memory either by write transactions (during which new data is loaded in the auxiliary memory), or by read transactions (during which data stored in the auxiliary memory is read by the drive circuitry). Companies who have introduced systems of this sort include Sony, which implements the AIT cartridge, and IBM, Seagate, Hewlett-Packard, which implements the LTO cartridge, and Quantum which implements SDLT.
The problem with these prior art auxiliary memory systems is that the information on the cartridge or other removable storage media can only be accessed by an appropriate circuit device that can communicate with the auxiliary memory. This occurs when the cartridge is in the drive. Customers have no method to read the auxiliary memory information when the cartridge is outside the drive. Many customers may only have a single drive that can communicate with the auxiliary memory, and access to that drive may not be readily available. Moreover, the information retrieved from the drive is not in a format that is readily useable. Typically, the information from the auxiliary memory must be input to a computer system that then must be programmed to incorporate that data into a format that can be reviewed by the user. Thus, for many consumers, the information that can be obtained from the auxiliary memory is not in a form that can be quickly reviewed by a consumer. It would be advantageous at certain times to be able to quickly determine certain status information regarding the storage media without placing the storage media in the vicinity of circuitry that can communicate with the auxiliary memory.
It would be advantageous if a system or device was developed that would permit a user to obtain certain information regarding a removable storage media or other tangible product without requiring access to a specialized device that must be used to communicate with auxiliary memory circuits mounted in or on the storage media or product. It would also be advantageous if a system or device was available which would permit a dynamic variable relating to a removable storage media or other product to be visually accessible without requiring connection to a computer system. Despite the apparent advantage that such a system would have, to date no such system has become available.
The deficiencies and shortcomings of the prior art are solved by a visual meter that attaches to a removable storage media or other tangible product and which includes a display for indicating certain dynamic status information relating to storage media or product. The visual meter may be selected to display particular information, such as the remaining capacity of the storage media, the viability of the storage media or product for continued use, the number of errors that have occurred while reading from and writing to the storage media, and any other desired status information. The display preferably comprises a graph with legends that denote the status of one or more dynamically changing parameters. According to the preferred embodiment, the graph provides a long-term visual indication of the state of the parameter, without any external power source.
According to the preferred embodiment, the visual meter is used in conjunction with an auxiliary memory circuit that is mounted in or on the removable storage media or other product and stores information regarding particular dynamic status parameters of the removable storage media or product. The meter may either connect electrically to the auxiliary memory circuit, or may comprise a label that attaches to the removable storage media and which communicates with either the auxiliary memory or drive circuitry via rf transmissions or through a hard-wire connection. The meter preferably includes an rf receiver and a parasitic power source that converts rf transmissions to electrical power for operating the meter circuitry. The meter circuitry also preferably includes conditioning circuitry to convert the received rf transmissions to a digital signal. The meter also preferably includes a control circuit and a memory device that operate to store parameter data received from the drive or auxiliary memory. The control circuitry preferably selects particular parameter data for displaying on a suitable display device, through the use of associated drive circuitry. According to one embodiment, the control circuitry may be programmed to analyze the parameter data to determine the viability of the removable storage media or other product, based on past usage, the number of errors that have occurred during storage and retrieval of data, and the like.
The meter preferably includes a display device that may be attached as a label to a cartridge. According to one embodiment, the display comprises a semiconductor device that changes color based on the charge applied to the device. Preferably, the display has a long-life to provide a visual display for an extended period of time even after the cartridge has been removed from the tape drive. In addition, it is preferable that no external power source be required to maintain the readable value set on the label. According to the preferred embodiment, the display values are determined each time the cartridge is placed in a drive, or during any other situation in which the auxiliary memory is accessed by either a read or a write operation.
Additional details regarding the preferred embodiment of the present invention may be obtained from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment, drawings, and claims, which follow.